News Bulletin

November 14, 2014

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Malala vows to build school, college in Shangla

Speaking through a video-link at the ‘Malala Education Seminar’ here, she said most of the children in her native district were deprived of education due to financial constraints.Recalling past memories with joy and enthusiasm, Malala Yousafzai said her birthplace required more girls schools.

“The Shangla district is without schools and if some areas have educational institutions these are without basic facilities,” she maintained. Malala Yousafzai claimed that there still existed ghost schools in her home district. She added she had started education projects in Shangla and pledged that she would spend the prize money on education in her native district. “Twenty-five underprivileged children are being funded through this programme to get education at standard schools,” she claimed. She vowed that these children would be supported till completion of their education.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak has lauded the academic standard of Islamia College University (ICU) Peshawar and its services for the academic development of the province. He was addressing the launching ceremony of a book on the history of Islamia College authored by Dr Lal Baha at Roos Keppel Hall of ICU on Thursday. The chief minister appreciated the work of Dr Lal Baha and said that Islamia College Peshawar and affection of people to the college had become a part of history and culture of the province. He said that Islamia College Peshawar was one of the parent institutions of the province to set foundation of higher education in. He said that the college was established in 1913 and became a university. It was parent institution of many schools and colleges, he said. `In fact Islamia College is still serving as mother of all institutions in this region,` he added.

The students of Degree College Banda Daud Shah staged a meeting here on Thursday to protest shortage of teachers and lack of other facilities at the college. The meeting, presided over by Raza Khan Khattak, was told that posts of science teachers were vacant at the college since long and students were facing problems owing to absence of teachers. The protesting students said that the authorities concerned didn`t accept their genuine demand. They said that they had to bring water in bottles from their homes as there was acute shortage of potable water in the college. They demanded provision of a bus to the college and said that the road leading to the college needed repair.

The Fata Development Working Party has approved a plan to increase scholarships for tribal students from 200 to 2,000 while Montessori system of education would be introduced in 230 government schools across the tribal belt. A handout issued here said that the number of merit scholarships would be increased gradually. The decision was taken in a meeting held here at the Civil Secretariat, Fata, on Thursday which was chaired by additional chief secretary Mohammad Azam Khan. It said that steps would be taken to enhance quality of education in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and scholarships would be awarded to 2,000 deserving students. In addition Montessori system would be introduced and necessary equipment and facilities provided in the 230 schools.

For the first time: Fata to get 230 Montessori systems, four year Bachelor’s degree programme

For the first time in the history of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), the government will establish 230 Montessori systems as well as a four years Bachelor’s degree programme at the college level will be introduced in all agencies of the region. Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) FATA Mohammad Azam Khan chaired a meeting in the FATA Secretariat on Monday about the 5th FATA Development Working Party (FDWP) in which the directors and officials from different departments participated. The meeting decided that the governor’s Special Protection Programme for widows and orphans will also be implemented on war footings in Fata.

Participants of a national consultation have urged the government to adopt ‘inclusionary’ policies in the educational sector to allow for a pluralistic and diverse society. Civil society members, government functionaries, academicians and other experts took part in the deliberation, which called for inclusive education to accommodate the marginalised groups, minorities and special persons.

Campaign Manager for Alif Ailaan Mosharraf Zaidi gave a presentation on out-of-school children, saying that many families from poor backgrounds make a conscious choice not to send their children to schools due to high costs and the poor quality of education in schools. They think that their children will end up getting no good jobs.

The Ministry of Capital Administration and Development (CAD) Thursday announced abolition of the evening shift at Islamabad Model College for Boys (Postgraduate), Sector H-9, and Islamabad Model College for Boys, H-8.

The decision has been taken in the light of directives of Minister of State for CAD Usman Ibrahim who on Wednesday had taken notice of continuation of evening shift in two colleges directing the concerned director of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) to submit a report to him on November 17.

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Shahid Siddiqui has said “We have to equip ourselves with the latest technologies and techniques in distant learning education otherwise our system will become obsolete in a short span of time.”

“We intend to promote university’s role for reformation of society through quality and meaningful education,” he shared while talking to ‘The News’. This was his first exclusive interview to any publication after taking charge as vice chancellor on October9, 2014.

Speakers at a seminar expressed concern over the high number of `out of school` children in the country and pressed the government and the civil society to play a greater role in this regard. The seminar titled `Quality Science Education: Securing a Sustainable Future for all` was organised at Comsats to commemorate World Science Day. Speakers included educational experts such as Dr. Tariq Mahmood, Advisor Higher Education Commission (HEC), Dr. Faisal F. Khan, Dr. Fayyaz A. Faize, Salman Naveed Khan. Topics such as HEC`s role in improving educational standards and research in the country, new trends in life sciences, and entrepreneurial nature of modern science and challenges of quality science education in Pakistan were discussed.

UNESCO has urged all the stakeholders to renew their commitment to create a scientifically literate knowledge-based society for all, with sustainable development as a top priority which is need of the hour especially in Pakistan. Vibeke Jensen, Director of UNESCO Office Islamabad, said this while speaking at the World Science Day seminar titled ‘Quality Science Education: Securing a Sustainable Future for all’ held here to commemorate the World Science Day. The seminar was organised by COMSATS and ECO Science Foundation (ECOSF), in collaboration with UNESCO office Islamabad on Thursday. Dr Ishfaq Ahmad, former advisor to PM on Science and Technology and founder of various scientific institutions of the country, was the chief guest at the event.

Law enforcement agencies have been directed to tighten security around international schools following intelligence reports that Al-Qaeda militants might be targeting them in the near future. According to sources, following the alert the police were directed to deploy personnel around the buildings and ensure thesafety of employees. American schools are especially vulnerable, sources said. The security alert was issued after the attack on two policemen in a targeted attack in Sadigabad area of Rawalpindi. `Police is taking all possible measures to avert any attack and ensure the safety of schools and their employees,` a senior police officer said.-Mohammad Asghar.

The Plan International Pakistan released a report on Thursday showing a slight improvement in the state of girls’ education in the country. The report was launched at a seminar hosted by Plan International Pakistan and the National Rural Support Programme. According to the report, titled Because I am a Girl, more girls are now going to primary schools. In 2000, it says, there were only 92 girls in schools for every 100 boys. By 2011, this had increased to 97 girls for every 100 boys. Plan International Pakistan Acting Country Director Imran Shami said efforts should be made to end discrimination and violence against girls. The government should increase the annual budget to educate them, he said.

SPEAKERS, including Provincial Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan on Thursday at an event held at a local hotel, said the girl child bears more problems of forced marriage, violence, denial to education, and poverty than boy child in Pakistani society. He said the government is giving priority to early education of the children in Punjab. The minister said by establishing over 1100 Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres in the province, Punjab is far ahead of any other province in giving the attention to the early childhood education. He said that in Punjab the government is spending maximum budget on the education and has declared education emergency and most of the education targets have also been achieved and some surpassed. The minister lauded the Plan International and National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) for establishing over 100 ECE centres in three flood affected districts of Southern Punjab including Muzaffargarh, Layyah and Rajanpur.

Punjab government’s Higher Education Department (HED) has established a centre of excellence for China studies at Government College University (GCU) under the directives from Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who allocated a seed money of Rs 30 million for the centre. Chinese Embassy Cultural Counsellor Zhang Yingbao, Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleeq-ur-Rahman and Secretary HED Abdullah Sumbal Thursday jointly inaugurated the China studies centre on behalf of the chief minister. The university has established the centre at the historical Old Gymnasium Building, built in 1858. John Lockwood Kipling, father of Rudyar Kipling, referred this building as Dark Bungalow in his book. He said the centre, besides research at the postgraduate level, would initiate diploma and certificates in China Studies.

PROVINCIAL Minister for Excise, Taxation and Finance Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman has commended the vision of Shahbaz Sharif for launching of a new phase of free distribution scheme of the laptops among the matriculate students and now the matriculate students, scoring 78 percent and above marks, will also benefit from this scheme. He told the media that total one lakh students will get laptops on merit during the current fiscal year in all the categories. He said the government has been giving special attention to the improvement of the school education for the last six years and 140,000 school teachers have been recruited purely on merit in the province. He further said that Rs. 274 billion will be spent on the education sector during the current fiscal year which is 26.25 percent of the total budget of the province.

The Lahore High Court has directed the Punjab University vice chancellor to examine the appointment of Prof Dr Mansoor Sarwar as professor as well as principal of PU College of Information Technology (PUCIT) since 2010. Prof Sarwar`s `appointments` have been challenged for being in violation of eligibility criteria and the university calendar. Following the appointment of Mr Sarwar as professor as well as principal on Dec 6, 2010, PU Geology Department`sProf Dr Nasir Ahmed, who is also president of teachers` Academic Group in the university, had challenged both the appointments, alleging that they were made illegally.

Final Exams of Matriculation under the Rawalpindi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (RBISE) will start from 2nd March 2015. According to the Board Spokesman Arsalan Cheema, last date to submit admission form with single fee is December 9,2014 and 18th December for double fee, while 31st December would be the last date to submit admission form with triple fee. However regular institutes would get online form for students and will send hardcopies to concerned board office. Moreover the private candidates who are appearing for the first time will pay Rs. 800 for registration besides admission fee.

The Library of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore (UVAS) arranged a concluding ceremony of book fair 2014 in the City Campus Lahore here on Thursday.

Also, a two-day training workshop titled ‘Advanced Diagnostics in Parasitology organised by Department of Parasitology of the University of Veterinary and Animals Sciences (UVAS) Lahore, began here on Thursday. The workshop is to provide the professionals with state-of-the-art knowledge and essential practical training to all the participants.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) and Institute of Business Management (IoBM) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The MOU was signed by Yaqoob Suttar, President ICAP and Talib Karim , Rector IoBM. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Operating Officer, ICAP Mr. Khalid Rahman said “This collaboration is a significant association between a high ranked business school, IoBM and the leading accounting body of the nation, ICAP and would lay the foundation of an innovative working relationship and give rise to new valuable opportunities for the youth in accounting profession.

Students from all across Punjab presented research-based projects in the categories of biology, chemistry, computer sciences, mathematics and physics at the a science fair which concluded on Thursday. Projects will be assessed by a panel of renowned judges, with winners eligible to compete at the 2015 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair which will be held from May 10 to 15 in Pittsburgh, USA.

A Seminar was organized at Hyderabad by I-SAPS and Alif Ailaan for the promotion and policy of Education in Sindh. Various Officers and Leaders including, PPP District President Mr. Zahid Bhurgri, SUP Leader Mr. Dodo Muheri, AJP Leader Mr. Mukhtar Abbasi, Chairman Hari Committee Mr. Punhal Saryo, PTI Mr. Khawand Bux Samejo and others. It was declared that, 238000 children are deprived of getting admission in the Schools; 37% Schools are lacking the facility of Water; 22% Toilets, 19% Electricity and 30% Schools are without compound walls; and thousands of schools are closed. Government is silent to take action against these problems and solve.

Many Schools are closed in Kasbo, District Dadu. Villagers protested and declared that schools are closed because of non-seriousness of Government. U.C toor Girls School is closed since 13 years; Kasbo Middle School, Naag jo Khooh, Ladho Dero Primary School, and others are closed. Villagers protested to restore these schools on priority basis.

District Tando Allah Yar: More than 20 Schools of U.C sheikh Bhirkyo including the villages Musa Brohi, Daad Brohi, Haji Bheel, Darya Khan Thaheem, Sajan Nizamani and Jaan Muhammad Wasaan are closed since years. Officers are confined to statements only; they do not take serious action against ghost Schools.

It is declared that more than 240 Teachers are on Visa in Taluka Ratodero, District Larkana. These teachers are appointed in record only and their presence in the schools is not mentioned. But the Education officers say that these Teachers are transfered in other Schools.

Primary School village Shah Nawaz Khoso, near Garhi Hassan District Jacobabad is closed since years. The students are looking at the ways of Teachers who are getting their salaries at Homes. The villagers told that this school is being neglected by the Teachers.

Primary School village Dhani Dino Ghanghro, District Naushehro Feroz is closed since five months. Mr. Badar Ghanghro, a resident, told that education officers are corrupt and they have favored teachers and have left them on Visa. School building is in decaying condition.

According to the recent reports, about 40 Thousand Ghost Teachers have been found in the Sindh education department. These Teachers are mostly working in NGOs and Media; Females are found more than male Ghost Teachers and these female Teachers are engaged in their home activities.

Mr. Ghulam Nabi Morani, founder of the Mehran T.V Channel, has terminated 12 Ghost Teachers from his channel. These Teachers were appointed in the time of Chief Minister Mr. Arbab Rahim and they have been engaged in Media activities without attending their Government duties. They are being supported by the political persons.

District Thatta: Hundreds of schools of ghora bari are closed due to non-seriousness of government. Government girls Primary School Allah Bachayo Khushk, Sulaiman Khushk, School Mama Ali Khushk and others are closed since years. The residents declared that their children are deprived of education and they are pushed back to work in the fields.

District Ghotki: Education Officer Mr. Hussain Bux Mahar visited the Schools including Ghotki High School, Ayub Lahkan and Jahan Pur. He found low attendance in the schools. He told that Ghost Teachers are now attending schools.

Villagers protested before Divisional Education Office against school closure.

Primary School village Daleel Zardari Moro District Nausheshro Feroz is closed since months; villagers protested before Education Office and raised slogans for the restoration of School. They added that more than 200 students are deprived of Education and Teachers are on Visa.

PPP MPA Mr. Taimoor Talpur visited the school of Asu Bai at Kunri; he appreciated her efforts for volunteer school for children; he also approved school building for her to carry-over her efforts for education. He said, education is the right of every child and Asu Bai is performing that duty to provide education to brighten-up the name of Sindh Province.

America has supported Education on various platforms through USAID. With the Program of Sindh Basic Education 55 Million Dollars have been released and 120 New Schools will be Build in the 7 Districts of Sindh excluding Karachi.

The Deputy Commissioners of Nawabshah and Sanghar visited different Schools and checked the record. They said, Ghost Teachers will not be favored at any state; they also said, absent students’ parents should be informed about the attendance of their children.

District Shikarpur: The residents of village Pir Dino, village Rajib Tart and others protested against EDO Lakhi Mr. Syed Muhammad Shah for school closures. They told media that, since 5 years 35 Primary Schools are closed; hundreds of protests have been observed but nothing seems positive on the part of Education Department. They added, children are deprived of the right of Education and are roaming and working in the fields.

All factories, schools and colleges in Karachi’s District Central (DC) would be departed training on disaster management. The trainees would be taught ways to strengthen coordination between departments during a disaster. These decisions were taken in a meeting of the District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) held at the Deputy Commissioner Central Dr Saifur Rehman’s office on Thursday.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) senior policy adviser for Sindh and Balochistan Dr Randy Hatfield has said that the aim of the agency`s development programmes, particularly in the education sector, is to strengthen US-Pakistan relations.

`We are also working in the health sector, focusing on mother and child healthcare programmes, in Pakistan,` he said while spealcing as the chief guest at a ceremony held here on Thursday for the inauguration of the Govt Boys Primary School, Dost Mohammad Maher. The school has been rehabilitated by the USAID after it, along with many others, was destroyed in the 2011 floods in Sindh.

The Sindh Assembly Public Accounts Committee has advised all public sector universities and the boards of intermediate and secondary education to produce all relevant documents of expenditures incurred during the financial year before audit teams and get them verified so that issues need not to be taken up at the PAC. The PAC, which met in the old assembly building on Thursday with its member Lal Chand Ukrani in the chair, settied two of the three draft paras of the audit report for the year 2009-10 of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sukkur. The paras, which were settled, pertain to `non-accountal` of stores articles costing Rs1.608 million and nonadjustment/ recovery of temporaryadvances of Rs0.373 million.

A workshop on “Internet of Everything” organised by Department of Computer Science University of Karachi, on Thursday at UBIT Seminar Hall. The main part which elaborated the tagline of the workshop IoE was conducted by M. Noman Ali, Assistant Professor and Academy Coordinator in Cisco Support Centre CTTC. He explained IoE as “every computing device must be connected to a network: 99% of the unconnected devices are expected to be on a network by 2020”.

While chairing a meeting on health reforms last week, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif claimed education and health sectors to be his top priorities.

Education fares worse than health. In the 2014-15 budget, the share of this sector was 19.7 per cent, substantially down from 29.2 per cent in the revised budget of the previous year. Again, Punjab was a poor third, compared with 30.1 per cent in K-P, 21.9 per cent in Balochistan and 18.8 per cent in Sindh. With more than half of the out-of-school children in the country hailing from Punjab and the obligation to fulfil the requirements of Article 25-A of the Constitution, one would expect the largest allocation in the education sector budget for the sub-sector of primary education

At the end of this past month, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) issued a very perturbing circular instructing all degree-awarding academic institutions to “remain vigilant and forestall any activity that in any manner challenge(s) the ideology and principles of Pakistan, and/or perspective of the Government of Pakistan thereof”.

Apparently, the HEC directive was instigated by the recent controversy unleashed at a model UN event organised by the Faculty of Management Sciences at Islamabad’s International Islamic University (IIU).

We talk about the change in curriculum but along with it we strongly need to improve our education system. Education is a provincial matter rather federal.

Complete Story: Khabrein page no. 10

Letters to the Editor

Neglecting education

ISLAMABAD: Education is believed to be the backbone for the progress and development of any country. Pakistan is in its developing stage so it is in dire need of a highly educated workforce, which can be absorbed by the job market to produce better products and services. One of the major problems confronting the education sector in the country is that of ghost schools. A ghost school is a school on paper — which is registered, receives a budget, but does not function in practical terms. It has no teachers, no students and no regular classes. Such schools seem to be a normal feature in many parts of Pakistan.

The flaws of the education system in Pakistan affect our economy, and exacerbate our ethnic and sociopolitical crises. The other key problem in Pakistan’s educational apparatus comes from deep-seated gender discrimination. The current primary school ratio of boys and girls enrolled is 10:4, which is a cause of huge concern. The total budget allocated to education is very low — making for a very small percentage of the total GDP.

Balochistan is the biggest province of Pakistan in terms of area from where thousands of candidates get higher educational degrees from different institutions of the country every year. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is the only organisation entitled to verify degrees, which is an essential element if one has to apply for any job within or outside the country. Unfortunately, there is no HEC office in Balochistan and we have to go to the Islamabad office to get our paperwork taken care of.